Transmission mechanism



April 3, 1928. 1,664,575

v l C. F. STAPLES TRANSMISSION MEGHANISM Filed May 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l SL. Vm 6%/ April 3, 1928.

1,664,575 C. F. STAPLES TRANSMISSION MEGHANISM Filed may 29, 1925 2 sheets-sneer 2 ammi.

i mounted in r an :enlargement B2 of the differential housing part '7. The clutch member 31 may be fixed in the enlargement 32 by pins 33 or any :suitable fastening means.

Slidably fkeyed -or splined on the sleeve `13() to rotate therewith, is ya .shiftab'le clutch member 34 having a. peripheral groove 35 into which extends a crank 36 'on 'the lin-ner end of the shaft 37 having an exterior crank 38 by which the shaft maybe rocked to shift the clutch member 34. The shaft 37v is jour- ,naled in an offset portion 239 of the` enlargement 32 and the crankv 38 is adapted to be operated from a remote point for instance by the driver of the motor truck.

In addition to the clutch member 34 being vshifted into engagement with the fixed clutch member 31, for a low speed,it is adapted to be shifted into the bearing'16 and into engagement with a clutch member .40 forming part of the differential casing part 14.

Between the lconfronting ends of the .axle shafts V20 and 21 is a differential spider 41 havingradially disposed pins or stud shafts 44 `which are .of greater length than ordinary spider pins. Rota'table on said spider pins are a plurality of inner differential pinions 42 and a plurality of kouter differential pinions 43. The differential pinions 4.2 mesh with the inner differenti-al gears 22 and 23 and the outer differential pinions 43 mesh with the outer differential gears V25 and 29. The outer differential pinions4'3 have-convex outer endfaces 13' which bea-r on the l annular concave way or bearing 14"l and permit of the spider rotating or floating relative -fo the differential casing, which is necessary when the outer differential gear .29 is held for the casing and differential @gears Vto turn V.relative to the'gear 29.

With the clutch member 34 shifted finto engagement with the clutch member 40 of ethe differential casing, there will be the usual differential action for the reason that the differential outer gears '25 and '2.9 are caused to rotate with the differential `casing and power is transmitted through the spider 41 and the inner differential gears 22 and 23 to the axle shafts 2() and 21.

W'hen the clutch member 34 is shifted into engagement with "the 'fixed clutch member 31 the outer differential 'gear 29 vis held so that the casing part 14 may revolve :about it. Power lis then transmitted from the casing 13 through the outer differential gear 25, the outer differential jpinions 43,'the. inner .differential pinions 42 and the innerdifferential gears 22 vand 23 to the axle shafts 20 Vand k21. This affords .a gear reduction with the differential action A.at 'any time.

I attach Vconsiderable importance .to the outer differential gears and pinions ibeing ar- 'ranged about-or circumferentially of the inner differential gears and pinions, thus'sug- A gesting that this arrangement may be extended to `the extent of `obtaining additional reductions of speed should it be so desired.

It is thought that ythe operation and utility of my .mechanism will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawings, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment :of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to 'such variations and modihcations 'as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. ln a differential mechanism, a driven casing, inner `differential gears and pinions arrangedfin Vsaid casing and a'd'aptedfo be driven from lsaid casing, shafts adapt-ed to 'be driven by said differential gears an d pinions, a gear .reduction for saidV differenti al mechanism interposed vbetween 1said driven casing and Asaid inner differential gears and, pinions for translating motionfrom said casing `to Ysaid mner diderential'gears and pinions, said gear reduction including outer differential gears and pinions inl said (basing.V vabout sard inner differential gears and pineel ions, 'and a spider having arms passed "shiftab'le clutch memloer by rwhich the outer differential gear last mentioned may beheld stationary. I 1 4 Y A differential mechanism `:as called for `in claim 1,` and a housing Vfor'said` 'mechan-ism, saidlhousing havinga side enlargement forv said meansand by which housing said means maybe held stationary. l

4. A `transmission mechanism including shaft-s, :inner differential gears having hub 4portions on said shafts, pinions supported betWeensa-i-d inner differential gears, means .adapted to drive said gears and `pin-ions, to impart rotation to said shafts, "including outergears on the hub portions of said inner gears, outer pinions `between said outer gears, said outer gears and pir-lionsbeing constructively arranged to provide a reduced speed to said shafts, and controlling means llli for sai-d gearing, said controlling means from said casing, said differential mechanismaincluding inner and outer pinions and 'inne-r and outerV gears, :the inner pmions meshing with the inner gears, the outer pinions meshing with the outer gears, and the inner and outer pinions being operatively associated for translating motion from an outer gear to an inner gear, an outer hub portion carried by one of said outer dierential gears and ext-ending out of said casing into said housing. and means on said outer hub portion engageable with said casing and adapted for securing said outer hub portion to said casing for rotation in synchronism.

6. A housed differential mechanism as called for in claim 5, wherein said` means vis shiftahle on said outer hub portion from engagement with said casing to engagement with said housing for a reduced differential speed of said shafts relative to said driven Casing.

7. A housed differential mechanism as called for in claim 5, wherein said driven differential casing is formed with an annular Way as a bearing for the outer differential pinions.

8. In a housing, a driven differential casing therein, said casing being formed to provide an annular internal way, shafts extending into said casing, a differential mechanism in said casing adapted to impart rotation to said shafts from said casing, said differential mechanism including gears, one of which is fixed to said casing, and a spider having pinions slidahle on the casing Way, and means adapted for holding another of said differential gears to cause said spider and its pinions to bodily rotate on the Way of said casing.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES F. STAPLES. 

